Loading...
Inspections Department Fee Study and Division Update; Lenz/Kearney February 9, 2017 Memorandum To: Mayor Molly Cummings and Members of the City Council From: Christopher P. Kearney, Building Official Date: February 14, 2017 Re: Inspection Department Fee Study and Division Update _________________________________________________________________________ 2016- 2017 Building Inspection Division Summary and Update Department Staff: Alejandra Sanchez - Administrative Assistant, Elizabeth Page - Housing Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer, Susan Zasada - Housing Inspector, Art Carlson – Mechanical and Plumbing Inspector, Brian Stevens – Building Inspector and Plans Examiner, Doug Torvund – Contract Electrical Inspector, Christopher Kearney – Building Official FEE STUDY The following fees have been studied and compared to some surrounding cities, Rental Licensing, Rental Inspections, Truth-In-Housing, Building, Mechanical and Plumbing Permits. Rental Licensing Fees In 2010 the City raised rental licensing fees from $35.00/building and $5.00/unit to $50.00/building and $7.50/unit. Since it has been seven years since the last increase, staff deemed it was time to look at the current licensing and inspection fees. In the chart below you will find how Hopkins compares to the other cities we looked at. The proposed licensing and inspection fee increases would generate an estimated additional $45,000 - $50,000 per year. City Multi Family Duplex SFD Cond o Conversion Fee Brooklyn Center $450 + 18/unit $400 $300 $300 $500 Brooklyn Park $200 + 25/unit $150 $150 $150 $750 Coon Rapids $110 $110 $110 $110 $500 Crystal $360 + 12/unit $240 $170 $170 None Plymouth $100 + 6/unit $225 $150 $100 None Robbinsdale $100 + 10/unit $225 $100 $100 None St. Louis Park $230 + 15/unit $175 $125 $90 None Hopkins Current $50 + 7.50/unit $65 $50 $50 None Hopkins Proposed $75 + 10/unit $90 $75 $75 None February 9, 2017 Rental Inspection Fees Multi Family Duplex SFD Condo Hopkins Current $65 + $20/unit $105 $65 $45 Hopkins Proposed $100 + 25/unit $150 $100 $75 Truth-In-Housing Fees Fees for the Truth-In-Housing program have not been changed since 2003. The proposed increase in fees will help offset staff time involved in the administration and re -inspections involved in this program. In 2016 there were 343 Truth-In-Housing reports filed and there were 30 licensed evaluators working in the city. Proposed changes would be increasing the report filing fee from $20.00 to $35.00 and evaluator licensing fee from $35.00/year to $60/year. City Report Filing Fee Filing Late Fee License Fee Bloomington $30 $20 $155 Maplewood $30 None $130 Minneapolis $25 $25 $100 Robbinsdale $50 None $50 South St. Paul $35 $70 $60 St. Paul $35 $50 $100 Hopkins Current $20 None $35 Hopkins Proposed $35 Late Filing Not Accepted $60 Building Permit Fees Fees for building permits have not been increased since 2003 when the city adopted the permit fee schedule in the 1997 Uniform Building Code. City Bldg. Project Value $2000 Bldg. Project Value $25,000 Bldg. Project Value $100,000 Bldg. Project Value $500,000 Edina $88.50 $481.80 $1,225.75 $3,873.75 Minnetonka $80.00 $450.00 $1,139.50 $3,707.25 St. Louis Park $85.00 $430.00 $1,030.00 $3,430.00 Hopkins Current $69.25 $391.25 $1,043.75 $3,233.75 Hopkins Proposed $80.00 $450.00 $1,139.50 $3,707.25 Mechanical and Plumbing Permit Fees Mechanical and Plumbing Fees were last increased in 2011. Current fees are in the middle of the cities we looked at. Mechanical Permit Fees City Bldg. Project Value $5000 Bldg. Project Value $10,000 Bldg. Project Value $25,000 Bldg. Project Value $100,000 Edina $179.81 $342.13 $717.63 $2,214.38 Minnetonka $157.50 $288.47 $632.23 $2,021.85 St. Louis Park $142.50 $230.00 $492.50 $1,805.00 Hopkins Current $145.00 $270.00 $607.50 $2,032.50 Hopkins Proposed $179.81 $342.13 $717.63 $2,214.38 February 9, 2017 Plumbing Permit Fees City Bldg. Project Value $5000 Bldg. Project Value $10,000 Bldg. Project Value $25,000 Bldg. Project Value $100,000 Edina $157.31 $323.38 $698.88 $2,214.38 Minnetonka $157.50 $288.47 $632.23 $2,021.85 St. Louis Park $142.50 $230.00 $492.50 $1,805.00 Hopkins Current $145.00 $270.00 $607.50 $2,032.50 Hopkins Proposed $157.31 $323.38 $698.88 $2,214.38 February 9, 2017 Inspections Division Update Permit Works Software Update Inspection and IT staff have been working with Permit Works Softwar e Company for the past several months to get the new program installed and ready for implementation of the Permitting Module. Besides Inspections other departments such as Code Enforcement, Zoning, Public Works, Engineering, City Clerk and Fire will all be able to use the software. We believe this program will increase productivity for all city staff that uses the program. Some functions and benefits of the program: Improved Licensing Processes Work Flow Integrates with Laserfiche Inspection Recording Reporting File Scanning Building Activity 2016 Along with the large scale building projects in 2016, there was a constant flow of smaller building, mechanic, plumbing, and electrical projects. Total number of permits decreased by 199 from the previous year but the size of some of the projects increased revenue by $339,233.00. For the Inspection Division overall, revenues exceeded expenditures by $332,947.50. Permits Issued Type 2013 2014 2015 2016 Building 506 450 498 447 Mechanical 404 256 253 258 Plumbing/Utility 276 338 299 315 Electrical 536 471 421 431 Plan Reviews 186 177 179 173 Totals 1908 1692 1650 1451 Project Valuation $51,118,677 $19,401,535 $15,588,033 $85,091,705 Permit Revenue $523,567 $346,017 $321,049 $660,282 Inspection Division Revenue Revenue 2013 2014 2015 2016 Building Permit $210,166 $189,358 $166,179 $250,009 Mechanical Permit $83,985 $45,294 $51,229 $65,187 Plumbing Permit $71,615 $44,985 $29,793 $81,936 Electrical Permit $41,544 $39,256 $30,987 $48,614 Building Plan Review $116,257 $73,279 $42,861 $214,536 Rental License $100,867 $112,752 $112,448 $108,870 Rental Insp. Fees $49,486 $46,235 $36,085 $35,634 Total $673,920 $551,159 $469,582 $804,786 February 9, 2017 2017 & 2018 Building Activity 2017 & 2018 Building Activity is going to be very busy. Below you will find some current and potential building activity through 2018. 2017 Valuation Projected Permit and Plan Review Revenue Projected Start Projected Completion Insp. #'s The Moline $41 Million $101,000 * March 2016 Fall 2017 2500 Met Council Lift Station $5.5 Million $17,000 * Fall 2016 Spring 2018 Hopkins Village Apartments $3.5 Million Paid in 2016 May 2016 Winter 2017 350 Oxford Village Apartments $10.35 Million $27,000 * December 2016 December 2017 700 Blake School Arena Addition $3 Million $28,000.00 March 2017 Fall 2017 Blake School Dining Addition $10 Million $80,000.00 July 2017 Fall 2018 SWLRT Down Town Station $2 Million $18,000.00 Fall 2017 Katherine Curren School $3.9 Million $30,000.00 March 2017 August 2017 Augustana Chapel View 2.5 Million $23,000.00 Summer 2017 Total $324,000.00 * 2016 revenue allocated towards 2017 2018 Valuation Projected Permit and Plan Review Revenue Projected Start Projected Completion Insp. #'s SWLRT Operations Facility $25 Million $300,000.00 Winter 2018 SWLRT Shady Oak Station $2 Million $18,000.00 April 2018 Blake School Entry Addition $12 Million $89,000.00 Fall 2018 Spring 2020 SWLRT Blake Station $2 Million $18,000.00 Fall 2018 Demo Hopkins Cold Storage Total $425,000.00 2019 Building Projects  Potential 120 – 160 unit apartment building next to Hopkins Village Apartments at 7th and Main  Potential New Creekview apartment building at 434 Blake Road North  Start of the Hopkins Cold Storage Redevelopment  Continuation of SWLRT Operation and Maintenance Facility  Continuation of Blake School Addition Department Staffing Since last February when we met, there are two new staff members in the Inspection Department. Building Inspector Brian Stevens started August 15th and Administrative Assistant Alejandra Sanchez started September 19th.